‘Wolf Man’ Was a Flop, But it Made a Unique Contribution to Body Horror
Despite not being a werewolf movie, ‘Wolf Man’ offers a new take on the body horror subgenre. Although the film suffers from uninspired performances and shallow characters, director Leigh Whannell’s transformation scenes are a standout creative decision. ‘Wolf Man’ immerses viewers in protagonist Blake’s experience, presenting his metamorphosis from his own point of view, as opposed to the conventional exterior perspective.
The process becomes increasingly frightening and intimate as the sound is warped, colours change, and his view of the world shifts. Unfortunately, this method isn’t fully utilized, particularly at the conclusion, where it seems gimmicky rather than powerful. Notwithstanding the film’s general flaws, this original approach to body horror remains a novel and captivating idea.
Blake’s transformation sequences are the most captivating parts of ‘Wolf Man’. As he transforms, the movie alternates between outside viewpoints, where his wife Charlotte and daughter Ginger are shown attempting to console him, and his own, where their voices are muted and everything appears blue. His incapacity to communicate is made painfully evident, which gives the film an emotional depth that is frequently lacking in conventional werewolf productions.
Image Courtesy: Empire Magazine
While hideous physical alterations are often the centre of body horror, ‘Wolf Man’ emphasizes the psychological agony of transformation, allowing the audience to empathize with Blake’s loss of control.
Blake’s discovery of a little spider crawling on the wall after hearing a loud thudding behind him is one particularly powerful scene. His heightened senses are overpowering him, as this scene discreetly demonstrates. Other efforts at this viewpoint, however, are unsuccessful, particularly in the last act, where effects such as the characters’ luminous outlines give the movie an inadvertently humorous atmosphere. Although the idea of experiencing bodily terror from within is intriguing, Wolf Man’s implementation falls short of its full potential.
–Farheen Ali
